Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake Recipe

I had a craving for chocolate cake over the weekend. I really donít like to use mixes if I can help it because they just donít taste as good, to me. They can also be full of unpronounceable ingredients, extra sugar, and preservatives that you donít have to use when you bake from scratch.

This old-fashioned chocolate cake is easy to make and is absolutely wonderful. Itís rich and moist, but still spongy like cake should be. And the frosting is heaven on top!

Directions:
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in sugar, cocoa and salt (mixture will be thick and grainy).

Combine heavy cream, sour cream, and coffee granules in a large measuring cup. Mix until smooth and coffee granules have dissolved. Gradually add cream mixture to the saucepan until well blended and smooth. Cook until sugar dissolves and the mixture is hot to the touch, but do not boil.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Cool frosting to room temperature. It should be a spreadable consistency at that point. Spread over cooled cake.

Variations:
I love the hint of coffee flavor in this cake, but itís not for everyone. You can omit the coffee granules altogether and the cake will be fine. Iíve also made this with orange flavoring. I add orange zest to the cake and a little orange oil to the frosting. I love oranges and chocolate, so I think itís great!

I always use olive oil, even for my baked goods. Some people don't like the flavor it adds, but I don't like to use vegetable oils. I've also used coconut oil in this recipe, which adds a nutty flavor.

I have also used Greek yogurt in the frosting in place of the sour cream. You can even use the Greek yogurt to replace the heavy cream and it tastes just fine, but the texture of the frosting will be a little thinner.

I think I have close to 20 different chocolate cake recipes and this is one of my favorites. Do you have a favorite chocolate cake recipe I can add to my collection? Iíd love for you to share it.